Trip mechanism for postage meter machines



Oct. 1927.

A. H. PITNEY ET AL TRIP MECHANISM FOR' POSTAGE METER MACHINES Original Filed March 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 1927.

, A. H. PITNEY ET AL TRIP MECHANISM FOR POSTAGE METER MACHINES Original Filed March 22. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,646,108 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR PITNEY, JACOB W. OGDEN, EDWARD G. NORTH-ROI, AND WALTER H. WHEELER, JR., OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO PITNEY-BOWES POSTAGE METER CO., OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE,

Original application filed March 22, 1924, Serial No. 701,219. Divided and this application filed December TRIP MECHANISM FOR POSTAGE-METER MACHINES.

29, 1924. Serial No. 758,778.

This ap licatio n is a division of our application For patent on postage meter ma chines, filed- March 22, 1924, Serial No. 701,219 (Case 6906). I The principal object of the invention Is to provide a novel tripping mechanism whereby the operative mechanism of mach nes can be controlled by the objects passing therethrough. In the particular machine shown in our aforesaid application the trip is operated by pieces of mail which are taken successively, one at a time, from a feed hopper containing a quantity of pieces, and fed past printing devices which imprint the metered l5 mail indicia thereon; and then fed past.

sealing devices whereby the gummedportion of the flaps of the envelopes are moistened, and sealed. The printing is controlled by means of mechanism which is released by the novel trip devices forming the subject matter of this application.

We will explain the invention with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention and will enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the invention; and we refer to the appended claims for summaries of the invention and various novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a complete machine as set forth in our aforesaid applica- Fig. 2 is a detail side'elevation of the trip and its operating devices.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the trip devices and feed rollers connected therewith.

Fig. 4 is a to plan view ofthe trip mechanism indicate in Fig. 2.

The machine shown in the drawings has a base plate 1, supported byframes 2 at: an angle of about fifteen degrees from the ver- 46 tical and at the front of this bedplate are mounted the various feed rollers, guides, etc., and at its rear are mounted the driving gearing, clutches, and tripping devices.

Mounted on the base plate 1, at the left hand side, is a feed hopper preferably consisting of a back plate 3, bottom plate 4, and a tail piece 4 and 'a side plate 5. The mail tion and embodying the present'inye'ntion.

to be imprinted and sealed is placed in the hopper with the flaps of the envelopes toward the back plate 3, and the flaps underneath.

The envelopes are successively fed from the hopper by two continuously revolving feed sectors, 20 and as the sectors are rotated their major peripheries project through openings in the bottom plate 4 of the hopper (see Fig. 1) and feed the bottom envelope in the, hopper out of the hopper and to the right, beneath the lower end of plate 5, and the feed sectors 20" are so timed with relation to the operation of the other devices of the-machine as to advance the letters at such intervalsas will insure a proper space between the tail end of any one letter and the leading end of the next following letter; such space being of suflicient length to allow the trip finger 200, hereinafter described, time to act freely.

' A wiper separator 100 is provided so that if two envelopes are simultaneously fed forward the wiper will hold the upper one of them back, while the segments advance the other as fully described in our aforesaid application. v

After passing out of the feed hopper, the letter is passed between pairs of revolving feed rollers-21, 22 and 21 22*; and in passing between' the rollers 215 and 22*, each letter passing through the machine actuates the trip finger 200 controlling the'printing die, by pushing the trip finger out of its path; as'hereinafter explained.

The rollers '21, 22, and 21, 22 forward the letters to and between a printing couple consisting of a printer 23 (Figure 1) preferably mounted on the meter M and an impression roller 24 mounted on a continuously revolving'yieldable shaft 24* mounted in a spring controlled rocking frame 24 (see Fig. 1), substantially as shown and described in patent to A. H. Pitney, #1370,-

668, dated March 8, 1 921. The parts are so constructed and operated that the die 23 makes one revolution for each letter passing between the trip rollers 21, 22, and 21, 22; said die being-controlled by the tripping mechanism hereinafter referred to.

In the machine shown, the printer 23 is shown as mounted on a spindle 337 in a removable meter M which is operably constructed as shown and described in the aforesaid patent. l

The means for releasing, driving and stopping t-he die by the combined trip and clutch action, and also the meter in which the die is mounted are constructed and operated substantially as described in the aforesaid patent, with the exception of the trip finger and coacting disks, as hereinafter described.

The trip finger 200 (Figs. 2 and 3) is attached to a spindle 200 which passes through the bed plate 1 and functions with other parts of the trip mechanism as described in the aforesaid patents. The trip finger is provided on its free end with a number of thin ribs or plates 200 (Fig. 3) spaced approximately three times their thickness apart and held rigidly together or formed integrally. The free end of the trip finger projects across the path of the letter as it moves through the machine and between the trip rollers 21 and 21 so as to obstruct the passage of the letter and the latter pushes the free end of the trip finger out of its path and thereby causes the spindle 200 to turn in its bearings and operate the trip-' ping mechanism.

The axially fixed trip rollers 21 and 21 are spaced a distance apart sufiicient to admit of the free entry of the trip finger 200 between them, and the mating yieldable roller is also made in two parts 22 and 22,

is that the multiplicity of plates in the finger opposing the multiplicity of revolving disks, divides the total stress on the piece of mail into a multiplicity of smaller units distributed over a larger area. This lessens the tendency of the trip action to mar the edge of the mail, and prevents a particularly thin piece of mail passing the finger, without actuating the trip, and does away with the need of an adjustable stripper fork.

Assuming all parts of the mechanism to be in operative position and condition (and with the exceptions noted, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described in the aforesaid patent), when the trip finger 200 is moved by a letter, it carries with it an arm 202 which in turn moves a link 203 which rocks part 204i out of the path of the triple lever arm 205 When part 205 is released the triple lever is turned on its stud sufiiciently to cause its arm 205 to release the clutch member 211 which thereupon revolves with the spindle 230, which is continually in motion, and thereupon through suitable connections the spindle 337 is rotated once, as described in said patents. During such revolution of [clutch 211*, cam 211 engages the arm 205 of the triple lever and returns said lever to a position where its arm 205 will again disengage the clutch and stop the rotation of the clutch member and the printer spindle and connected parts, as described in said patents.

the two parts 21 and 21 being opposite parts During such revolution of the clutch mem- 22 and 22*. In the space between rollers 22 and 22 are circular ribs or disks 22, which are of the same diameter as the rollers 22 and 22 and the spaces between them are the same as the spaces between the said plates. separate pieces, but may be turned out of one piece of stock, or be made integral with the rollers 22 and 22.

The parts 200 of trip finger 200 enter between and alternate with the disks 22, and a letter passing between the rollers 21 and 22 and 21 and 22 will be materially assisted by the disks 22 in pushing the trip finger 200 out of its path.

In this construction we have improved the said patented trip mechanism by placing between the two swingable trip feed rollers 22 and 22 a multiplicity of disks 22 of the same diameter as the feed rollers; and by providing the trip finger 200 with a series of thin plates 200 similarly spaced. The plates of the finger are oppositethe spaces between the-disks, and normally enter into such spaces (across the path of the moving letter), so that a letter in passing between the said trip feed rollers will engage the finger and force it out of its path; and in so doing release the devices which operate the printer and meter.

The advantage gained by this construction The disks are preferably made of ber the trip link 203 will be disengaged from arm 202 by the short arm 203 of a lever pivoted adjacent link 203 and having an arm 203 which is operated by a cam 203 on the clutch member 211.

As soon as the link has caused arm 204 to release arm 205", the link immediately re turns to position shown in full lines in Figure 2, without having to wait for the finger 200 to return after the passage of the letter. This insures the return of part 20 1 in time and place to arrest arm 205 and prevent a second revolution of the printer. This completes the cycle of operations of the trip mechanism. Such operation occurs once for and during the passage of each letter through the machine, as more fully de-' scribed in the aforesaid patent and application.

In the machineshown in our aforesaid application and Figure 1, the envelopes are placed in the feed hopper. in an approximately horizontal position with their flaps on the under sides, and after being fed and imprinted as described, are passed to a v mois-tening and sealing device. This device includes a nose 301 which the envelope flap is slightly opened as it passes such nose, by reason of the sharp edge of the nose insinuating itself between the body and flap. The body of the envelope passes over the nose while the partly opened flap passes under the nose, and in so doing its gummed side is moistened by a wick which applies moisture to the gum on the flap. After pass-,

ing the nose the under side of the flap comes in contact with a guide 30:"), which presses the flap toward the body of the envelope. The sealed envelope is then drawn forward by rolls 25 and 26 and dropped into a suitable receptacle 12.

A tray 14 may be mounted on the upright frame 2, to conveniently hold mail matter preparatory to printing and sealing same.

The shafts of the feed sectors 20*, the feed rolls 21 and 21, impression roller 24, the delivery roller 25, and the clutch by which the spindle of the printing die 337 is driven when the meter is positioned in the machine, are all driven in proper time and manner by gearing mechanism at the back of the base 1, which'gearing and mechanism may be substantially as shown and described in the aforesaid patents, or of any suitable kind and as this gearing and mechanism is not a feature of the present invention, and will be readily understood by those familiar with the art, and readily supplied by a mechanic without invention, it is unnecessary to illustrate or describe same in detail.

We claim:

1. In mechanism of the character specified, means for forwarding a letter; coacting letter forwarding rollers; a trip finger entered between the latter rollers and having a. plurality of parallel plates on its free end, and a series of spaced disks on one of the forwarding rollers, said disks coacting with the said rollers to enable an envelope to displace the trip finger.

2. In mechanism of the character specified. means for forwarding a letter; coacting letter forwarding rollers; and a. trip finger entered between the latter rollers and having a plurality. of parallel plates on its free end adapted to simultaneously bear upon the letter, and coacting with the said rollers to enable a letter to displace the trip finger.

2. In mechanism of the character specified, opposed pairs of spaced letter forwarding rollers; a trip finger entered between the spaced rollers having a plurality of parallel ribs on its free end adapted to simultaneously bear upon the letter, and an opposed series of spaced ribs between the rollers of one pair cooperating with the finger ribs.

4. In tripping mechanism of the charac ter specified, pairs of coacting letter forwarding means, a trip finger entered between the pairs of means haying a plurality of spaced ribs on its free end; and an envelope feeding member having a plurality of spaced disks alternating with the ribs on the said finger, said ribs and disks cooperating to enable a passing letter to move the trip finger.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own. we afiix our signatures.

ARTHUR H. PITNEY. JACOB W. OGDEN.- EDWARD, G. NORTHROP. WALTER H. WHEELER, JR. 

